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The debate over whether a dominant paradigm is appropriate for the rapidly evolving organizational learning (OL) research has resulted in significant discord among researchers in the field. This critical issue paper compares and contrasts the strengths and weaknesses of three widely used research paradigms in OL research: positivism, interpretivism, and critical science. It argues that in many cases, the taxonomy of positivislic research should be employed as the central methodological framework in investigating organizational learning and subsequent performance issues while valuing contributions made by the other two approaches to OL research.
The Longman dictionary (1995) defines research as "the studious study of a subject, that is intended to discover new facts or test new ideas; the activity of finding information about something that one is interested iri or needs to know about" (p. 1205). As the definition implies, in the strenuous journey to knowledge, researchers and scholars employ various research paradigms to guide them through the course of knowledge seeking. From the research perspective of organizational learning (OL), the three primary research paradigms of positivism, interpretivisrn, and critical science, have been widely discussed and used within the field.
PROBLEM STATEMENT AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Learning is defined in a broad sense as the acquisition of new skills and knowledge that results in changed behavior (Snyder & Cummings, 1998). In today's continuously changing and turbulent business environment, organizations are becoming increasingly interested in ways of gaining and sustaining competitive advantage. When confronted with performance problems that may arise in organizations, researchers and practitioners rely on learning solutions as a way of addressing these issues; professionals perceive that learning is a prerequisite to performance improvement and change (Gilley, Dean, & Bierma, 2001; Vakola, 2000). Consequendy, learning has become a key contributor to organizations' adaptation and innovation in a highly competitive global market.
Several researchers have responded to expanding organizations' learning needs by proposing learning models for the design of organizations that are more sensitive to the volatile business environment (Argyris & Schon, 1996; Senge, 1990; Sriyder & Cummings, 1998). As Leroy and Rarnanantsoa (1997) defined it, organizational learning is the collective phenomenon of the acquisition, development, and dissemination of knowledge and skills within the organization to positively influence organizational outcomes. The Academy of Human Resources Development...